Street-railway car



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet I. S. D. KING.

STREET RAILWAY OAR.

No. 402,743. Patented May '7, 1889.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 S. D. KING.

STREET RAILWAY GAR.

No. 402,743. Patented May 7, 1889.

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STREET RAILWAY GAR.

I Patented May '7, 1889 (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

, S. D. KING.

STREET RAILWAY CAR. 1

No. 402,743. 7 Patented May '7, 1889 N PETERS. Pholu-Lillwgrlphur, Washinglan, 11G

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SIDNEY D. KING, OF PITTSTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

' STREET-RAI LWAY CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. {102,743, dated May '7, 1889.

Application filed July 7, 1888. Serial No. 279,317. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SIDNEY D. KING, a resident of Pittston, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Street-Railway Cars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in railway-cars, and particularly to a class in which two axles and four wheels are used to afford rolling support to the car.

One object of my present invention is to provide a street-railway car or other car having four wheels arranged in pairs with two trucks, each supporting an axle and pair of wheels, said trucks being adapted each to have a limited-lateral swinging movement, or either one to be locked rigidly against such a swiveling action.

A further object is to furnish a car which has two pairs 'of wheels mounted on axles that are arranged to swivel on two trucks with a controlling device, whereby either may be allowed to swing or be locked rigidly, and also provide the truck or carbody with springbuffers, which are graduated in strength for their uses, and are adapted to cushion the carbody when it oscillates on the center of the trucks, so that lateral vibrations are checked or absorbed and injurious strains of the carframe avoided.

With these objects in view my invention consists in the construction of parts and their arrangement and combination in a manner which will be hereinafter described, and point- -ed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings making a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation, in perspective, of a car-frame with two trucks in positionbelow it and a swiveling device shown at one end, together witha portion of the car-body. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the car-frame, car-body, and one truck in place below the frame, together with the swiveling device connected thereto, taken on a line through the center of width of the car-frame. Fig. 3 is a plan view of one end of the car and a truck, showing the swiveling device attached and adjusted to swing the truck a limited distance from a straight line. Fig. 4 is a plan view of one of the trucks in place, together with the swiveling device at one end of the car adjusted to hold the car-truck from swiveling. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of preferred form of car-truck frame with axle and wheels in place. Fig. 6 is a transverse section in elevation of the carplatform, showing the operating mechanism of the truck-swiveling device in position on the front board or dash of the platform. Fig. 7 is an enlarged top plan view of the frame of a car above a truck. Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view of one of the spring-buffers preferably used.

In the construction of street-cars provision must be made for the free travel of the same over curves of short radius, and also avoid, as largely as possible, the excessive frictional resistance occasioned by the abrasive contact of the flanges of the wheels with the track when the car is on such a curve. The general expedient resorted to consists in the shortening of the distance between the centers of the axles, or, in other words, locating these axles each nearer the center of length of the carframe. The plan just mentioned of shortening the distance between axle-centers causes a car in motion to have a lateral as well aslongitudinal oscillating action, which is ob- I jectionable to occupants. If the wheels are placed farther apart to avoid the oscillations just mentioned, they will bind on the track and produce a frictional resistance on curves, which is very objectionable.

By construction of the car frame, truck, and swiveling mechanism of the truck in the manner hereinafter described I avoid the abrasive frictional resistance incident to fourwheel cars when running on sharp curves, and also prevent longitudinal and lateral 0scillations of the car-body. The above-named advantages which pertain to the device that is the subject of my present invention will be fully exemplified in the following description of its construction and operation:

The frame of the car A consists of two longitudinal timbers, A, which extend from and between the transverse bumper-timbers B of the car-body and define its width. These are intended to receive the flooring-boards a. At proper points between the end or bumper timbers, B, two pairs of cross-timbers, C C, are secured to the longitudinal timbers A. (See Figs. 1 and 7.) The timbers C G are properly spaced apart of a width that corresponds to that of trucks, which are located immediately below them. Each of the timbers C O is stiffened by the plate-iron braces 0 bolted against the sides of the timbers, preferably by 1ag-screws; or bolts may be inserted through the plates and timbers and be secured by nuts on the ends of the bolts in an obvious manner. The ends of each iron brace C are bent at a right angle to lie in contact with the inner surface of the longitudinal timbers A, (see Fig. 7,) and are bolted or screwed fast to these longitudinal timbers, thus rigidly bracing the car-frame at these points.

The pairs of cross-ti1nbers O O are each connected by a longitudinal center beam, which form seats for the center plates, 1) b, that are secured thereto at such points as will locate their vertical perforations c midway between the cross-timbers G G.

The trucks and their frames D D are of similar form and size, so that a description of one will suffice for both.

Truck D consists of two side pieces, (I, and two end pieces, f, the first named being of a length proportioned to the length of the axle E. The side and end pieces are-stoutly secured together at their ends to form a rectangular frame, the width of which is sufficient to receive the truck-wheels E between the side pieces of the same.

The wheels are rigidly secured to the axle E, which projects outside of each wheel, and journals are formed on these projecting ends, which engage sliding boxes 6, as shown in Fig. 1.

In Figs. 1 and 5 is shown the preferred form for constructing the truck-frames. It con sists in the employment of tubular side pieces, (I, which are threaded on the ends and are inserted into threaded holes formed in each end piece, f. A center plate, g, is provided, that is flattened on its top surface of a size to aiford a proper bearing for the top center plate, Z). A center pin or king-post, h, proj ects from the lower plate to have swivel engagement with the perforation 0, made in the top center plate.

The center plate, g, is preferably cast into form and extends between the side pieces, at, in front of the truck-frame for apurpose that will be further explained. It has projecting bosses 7L formed on its side edges that are opposite the end pieces, f. These bosses are perforated and threaded to receive the diagonal side braces, 1', which have their other ends in screw threaded engagement with bosses 7L2, that are projected from the inner sides of the end pieces, f, of the truck-frame. Two integral inverted depending arclrpieces, 7c, are formed on the cast center plate, g, and are perforated to receive loosely the ends of the bolts m, that are provided with clamping lower ends that embrace the tubular side pieces, (Z, as shown in Fig. 5, these bolts being drawn tight by nuts which bear on the upper surface of the inverted arch-pieces of the center plate, g. Other diagonal braces or stay-rods, a, are extended from the center plate, g, above the diagonal side braces, 'i, and attached to the upper edges of the end pieces of the frame to stiffen its connection with the tubular side pieces. WVhen all the enumerated parts of the truck-frame arepropcrly secured together, as stated, a light and very strong well-braced frame is produced that is preferred to a wooden structure.

The front projecting end, g, of the truck center plate, g, is extended laterally in T form, as shown in Fig. 3, these lateral extensions 0 being braced by the diagonal side arms, 0, which are secured by their ends to the forward corners of the truck-frame, thus stiffening the projecting end of the center plate against lateral strains. The front end, g, extends to a point near the end of the car, and is provided with ears p, the outer ends of the said ears being perforated to receive adjusting-bolts 1", the uses of which will be presently shown.

Above the T-head 0 of the center-plate extension g' a weai'ingplate, F, is-secured to the under side of the car-frame A, and a washer-plate, q, is secured on the upper surface of the floor of the platform P. This plate q, the wearing-plate F, and the T-head 0 are all perforated to align with each other when the car-truck is adjusted with the axle at right angles to the car-body.

A vertical shaft, G, is loosely secured by a box, 4", to the front board or dash, II, of the car-platform, the lower end of said shaft having a pulley, I, fastened on it, which has two parallel grooves cut in its periphery to receive a wire rope or chain, J, that is wound thereon and has its ends secured to the adjusting threaded bolts 0', which are extended to enter the holes in the ears p and be adjusted to draw the wire rope or chain J taut by means of the nuts .9, as shown in Fig. 6, so that a revoluble movement of the shaft G will vibrate the truck on its center pin to the right or left as the shaft is moved.

On the upper end of the shaft G a hinge or knuckle-joint, t, is formed with the bent end of the lever K, which is thus adapted to hang pendent and parallel to the shaft. The offset right-angle projection of the lever K,wh ere the knuckle-joint t is formed, is of such a length as to permit an eyebolt, n, to be attached thereto, the eye of which is engaged by a link-bar, L, that has its other end in hooked engagement with a locking-bolt, M, which is of a proper length and diameter to enter holes in the washer-plate q, wearingplate F, and T-head 0 when these holes are in vertical alignment and at no other time.

Upon the side of the link-bar L a tongue, o, is formed, which projects toward the pendent lever K, opposite to the oblong slot w, that is cut through the body of said lever, the tongue 1) being laterally perforated to receive the shackle-bar of a padlock, and thus afford a means for the securing of the bolt M in engagement with the holes of the washer-plate, wearing-plate, and extension of the truck center plate, it being understood that the lowering of the lever K will correspondingly depress the bolt M to engage these perforations and thus retain the car-truck from swiveling toward either side of the car. An abutment of its lower end with the upper surface of the T-head 0 prevents the bolt Mfrom depression until all the holes register with each other.

Upon the side of the dash or front board of the platform, near the upper edge of the same, at points about equally distant from the shaft G, the hook-plates :0 are secured, with their hooked portions projecting outwardly to engage the handle of the lever K when it is raised to a horizontal plane and swung to the right or left.

When the lever K is adjusted to engage either of the hook-plates w, the shaft G will be partially rotated and will swing the cartruck either to the right or left of a straight line, as the needs of the service demand.

It is intended to furnish each end of a car used in street-railway service with a swiveling. truck and a controlling device similar to that just described, so as to permit the car to run on a single track without turning around, as is frequently done. In such a case the mechanism is locked at the end of the car which is rearward, the forward end being free to be operated by the car-driver when a sharp curve is reached, the lever K being adjusted by him to curve in the right direction.

The device for controlling the swiveling movement of the car herein shown is preferred on account of its cheapness and reliability; but other means may be utilized which will effect the desired result, such as bevelgearing or bell-cranks connected by links and operated by a lever. I do not therefore desire to confine myself to the use of the mechanism herein shown.

Upon the corners of the truck-frames the spring-buffers O are mounted and secured. These are preferably made in the form patented by me, said patent being numbered 273,693 and dated March 6, 1883, in which spiral springs are held in two loosely-connected cases or shells that are adapted to telescope with each other and permit the compression of the springs when weight is thrown on them. The strength of the spring-buffers O is proportioned to the weight of the carbody and its maximum load, and are only in contact with the friction-plates R, that are attached to the car-frame above said buffers when the car is oscillated from a horizontal plane or improper irregularity-of the tracksurface is encountered by the car.

It should be stated that the regular springcushions U, which sustain the load of the car- .body and its passengers, are preferably seated in the end pieces of the truck-frames and engaged by the sliding axle-boxes after the manner usual to modern methods of constructing devices, and these, being load-carrying such springs, are independent in action with regard to the buffer-cushions O, that take up vibrations or oscillations of the car-body when these reach an objectionable degree, and thus cause the friction-plates of .the car-body to impinge on the buffers.

It is feasible to pivot the top center plate, 1), upon the front or rear end of the lower mating truck-plate, g, and effect a swiveling action of the truck-frame; but a better pro portion of parts and a more efficient device is afforded by locating the king-post or center pin about midway between the side pieces of the truck-frame and the transverse timbers O or O of the car-frame.

One of the incidental advantages resulting from the construction of the car-trucks as herein described consists in facility afforded for the location and support of an electric motor on the truck between the side and end timbers, as, by reference to Figs. 3 and 4, it is evident that such a disposition may be made of the motor between these portions of the truck-frame, thus removing it from the body of the car, affording room, and obviating difficult-y of maintaining the electrical connections intact.

A further advantage consists in the availability of the space afforded between the framepieces of the trucks for the location of the grip mechanism of a traction-cable system, as such a device can readily be mounted thereon and utilize thespace not otherwise employed, removing weight from the car-body and affording room in the car-body proper for passengers now occupied by the gripping device.

Many slight changes other than those mentioned might be made in the construction of the car-truck, the swiveling device, and the buffer-cushions, and not exceed the scope of my invention. Hence I do not wish to confine myself to the exact methods of construction herein shown and described; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a car, the combination, with a carframe, of a swiveled truck, buffer-frame located between the top of the truck and the bottom of the car-frame and adapted to limit the lateral vibrations of the car-body, and a device for adjusting the truck, substantially as set forth. 7

2. In a car having two two-wheeled trucks, the combination,with a'oar-frame, of a two-wheel swiveling truck, buffer-springs adapted to cushion oscillations of the frame on the truck, and mechanism to limit and arrest the swiveling motion of the car-truck, substantially as set forth.

3. A car-bodyprovided with two two-wheeled trucks, each adapted to swivel or be locked with two truck-frames, each supported on an axle and pair of wheels and connected to the ear-body by a center pin for each truck, of duplicate devices adapted to control the swinging movement of the trucks, and spring butfer-cushions located on the corners of the cartrucks, which absorb vibrations of the carbody, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SIDNEY D. KING. lVitnesses:

WILLIAM SoUREMAss, ANDREW KELLEY. 

